Field of the Disclosure
The disclosure relates to oligonucleotide (e.g., DNA)-based signature technology incorporating nanoparticle label and separation/recovery moieties which can be monitored quickly, simply, and inexpensively under resource-limited field settings.
Brief Description of Related Technology
Product counterfeiting is a serious global challenge for legitimate manufacturers and customers. A flood of sham products undermines the software, computer hardware, pharmaceutical, food, entertainment, and fashion industries—everything from fake designer jeans to phony prescription drugs. It is estimated that counterfeit products account for about 5-7% of world trade, worth an estimated US$600 billion a year. Counterfeiting is a rapidly growing business. It is a serious threat to public safety, equity, revenue, job markets, and taxes around the world. For example, counterfeit medicines usually do not contain the appropriate active ingredient, causing more harm to the patient and allowing microbes to develop drug resistance. Knock-off toys are not up to code against choking hazards or paint toxicity. Thus, the impact of product counterfeiting is long-term, subtle and diffuse.
Because counterfeit electronic parts adversely affect safety, pose significant risks to the U.S. government defense supply chain, and drive up costs, the Pentagon's Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) has enacted a DNA-marking requirement of all items falling within Federal Supply Class 5962 (Electronic Microcircuits) requiring all such electronic microcircuits to include a contractor-unique DNA-based signature.